“For this cause I also,
having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus, which is among you, and
which ye show toward all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you,
making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him: having the eyes of your heart
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, what the
riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what the
exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to
that working of the strength of His might, which He wrought in Christ,
when He raised Him from the dead.”

Never was anything equal to the yearnings of the Apostle, never anything
like the sympathy and the affectionateness of the blessed Paul, who
made his every prayer in behalf of whole cities and peoples, and writes
the same to all,197197 [Rom. i. 9; 1 Cor. i. 4; Philip. i. 3, 4; Col. i. 3; 1 Thes. i.
2.—G.A.] “I thank my
God for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” Think how many
he had in his mind, whom it were a labor so much as to remember; how
many he made mention of in his prayers, giving thanks to God for them
all as though he himself had received the greatest blessing.

“Wherefore,” he
says, i.e., because of what is to come,198198 [“On the contrary this ‘wherefore,’ διὰ
τοῦτο, refers to what
precedes ver. 13, 14, ‘because
this is the case that ye too are in Christ and have been sealed with
the Spirit.’ So
Theophylact.”—Meyer.—G.A.]
because of the good things that are laid up in store for them who
rightly believe and live. And it is meet then to give thanks to God
both for all the things which mankind have received at His hands, both
heretofore and hereafter; and meet to give Him thanks also for the
faith of them that believe.

“Having heard,”
saith he, “of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and
which ye show199199 [The
word ‘love,’ ἀγάπην,
which gets into the Auth. Ver. from some inferior mss., is omitted by Aleph. A. B. W. and H. Rev. Vers.
cf. Col. i. 4.—G.A.] toward all the
saints.”

He on all occasions knits
together and combines faith and love, a glorious pair; nor does he
mention the saints of that country only, but all.

60“I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you
in my prayers.”

What is thy prayer, and what thy
entreaty? It is

“That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom
and revelation.”200200 [Chrysostom’s hasty and superficial treatment of this great
passage would seem to justify the language of Dr. Newman in his preface
to the Oxford translation of these homilies on Ephesians. There are
“imperfections in their composition which in the opinion of some
critics argued the absence of that comparative leisure which he enjoyed
at Antioch.” Schaff also says: “His life in Constantinople
was too much disturbed to leave him quiet leisure for
preparation.” This, however, in referring to his Homilies on
Acts. Prolegomena p. 19.—G.A. Two things he requires
them to understand, as it is their duty to understand them; to what
blessings they are called, and how they have been released from their
former state. He says, however, himself, that these points are three.
How then are they three? In order that we may understand touching the
things to come; for from the good things laid up for us, we shall know
His ineffable and surpassing riches, and from understanding who we
were, and how we believed, we shall know His power and sovereignty, in
turning again to Himself those who had been so long time estranged from
Him, “For the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
(1
Cor. i. 25.) Inasmuch as it is by the self-same power by which He raised
Christ from the dead, that He hath also drawn us to Himself. Nor is
that power limited to the resurrection, but far exceeds it.

Ver. 21,
22.
“And made Him to sit at His right hand, in the Heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority, and power and dominion, and every
name that is named: and He put all things in subjection under His feet,
and gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is His
body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.”

Vast indeed are the mysteries
and secrets of which He hath made us partakers. And these it is not
possible for us to understand otherwise than by being partakers of the
Holy Ghost, and by receiving abundant grace. And it is for this reason
that Paul prays. “The Father of glory,” that is, He that
hath given us vast blessings, for he constantly addresses Him according
to the subject he is upon, as, for instance, when he says, “The
Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” (2 Cor. i. 3.) And, again, the
Prophet says, “The Lord is my strength and my might.”
(Ps.
xviii. 1.)

“The Father of
glory.”

He has no name by which he may
represent these things, and on all occasions calls them
“glory,” which is in fact, with us, the name and
appellation of every kind of magnificence. Mark, he says, the Father of
glory; (cf. Acts vii. 2.) but of Christ the
God.201201 [Compare Mat. xxvii. 46; John xx. 17; Rev. iii. 12.—G.A.] What then? Is the Son inferior to the glory?
No, there is no one, not even a maniac, would say so.

“May give unto
you,”

That is, may raise and wing your
understanding, for it is not possible otherwise to understand these
things. “For the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him.” (1 Cor. ii.
14.)
So then, there is need of spiritual “wisdom,” that we may
perceive things spiritual, that we may see things hidden. That Spirit
“revealeth” all things. He is going to set forth the
mysteries of God. Now the knowledge of the mysteries of God, the Spirit
alone comprehends, who also searcheth the deep things of Him. It is not
said, “that Angel, or Archangel, or any other created power, may
give,” that is, confer upon you a spiritual gift. And if this be
of revelation, then is the discovery of arguments consequently vain.
For he that hath learned God, and knoweth God, shall no longer dispute
concerning any thing. He will not say, This is impossible, and That is
possible, and How did the other thing come to pass? If we learn God, as
we ought to know Him; if we learn God from Him from whom we ought to
learn Him, that is from the Spirit Himself; then shall we no longer
dispute concerning any thing. And hence it is that he says,

“Having the eyes of your
heart enlightened in the knowledge of Him.”202202 [“The words, ‘in the knowledge of Him,’
ἐνέπι γνὡσει
αΰτοῦ, are not to be
joined with the words ‘having your heart enlightened,’ as
Chrysostom here, which entirely destroys the paralellism and symmetry
of the sentence, but with the words, may give you a spirit of wisdom,
etc., (in the knowledge of Him).”—Meyer and
Ellicott.—G.A.]

He that hath learned what God
is, will have no misgiving about His promises, and disbelief about what
hath been already brought to pass. He prays, then, that there may be
given them “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” Yet still
he also establishes it, as far as he can himself, by arguments, and
from “already” existing facts. For, whereas he was about to
mention some things which had already come to pass, and others which
had not as yet happened; he makes those which have been brought to
pass, a pledge of those which have not: in some such way, I mean, as
this,

“That ye may know,”
saith he, “what is the hope of His calling.”

It is as yet, he means, hidden,
but not so to the faithful.

“And,” again,
“what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints.”203203 [“That ye may know what a great and glorious hope is given
to the man whom God has called to the Kingdom of the Messiah; and that
ye may know what is the object of that hope, namely, the riches of the
glory of the inheritance which He gives; and that ye may know that by
which this hope is to be realized, namely, the infinite power of God as
shown in the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus
Christ.”—Meyer.—G.A.]

But what is clear? that through
His power we have believed that He hath raised Christ. For to persuade
souls, is a thing far more miraculous than to raise a dead body. I will
endeavor to make this clear. Hearken then. Christ said to the dead,
“Lazarus, come forth,” (John xi. 43.) and straightway
he obeyed. Peter said, “Tabitha, arise,” (Acts ix.
40.)
and she did not refuse. He Himself shall speak the word at the last
day, and all shall rise, and that so quickly, that “they which
are yet alive, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen
asleep,” (1 Thess. iv. 15.) and all shall come to
pass, all run together “in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye.” (1 Cor. xv. 52.) But in the matter of
believing, it is not thus, but how is it? Hearken then to Him again,
how He saith, “How often would I have gathered thy children
together, and ye would not.” (Matt. xxiii.
37.)
You perceive that this last is the more difficult. Accordingly, it is
upon this that he builds up the whole argument; because by human
calculations it is far more difficult to influence the choice, than to
work upon nature. And the reason is this, it is because He would thus
have us become good of our own will. Thus with good reason does he
say,204204 ᾽Εχόντας.

“The exceeding greatness
of His power to us-ward who believe.”

Yes, when Prophets had availed
nothing, nor Angels, nor Archangels, when the whole creation, both
visible and invisible, had failed, (the visible lying before us, and
without any power to guide us, and much also which is invisible,) then
He ordered His own coming, to show us that it was a matter which
required Divine power.

“The riches of the
glory,”

That is, the unutterable glory;
for what language shall be adequate to express that glory of which the
saints shall then be partakers? None. But verily there is need of grace
in order that the understanding may perceive it, and admit even so much
as at least one little ray. Some things indeed they knew even before;
now he was desirous that they should learn more, and know it more
clearly. Seest thou how great things He hath wrought? He hath raised up
Christ. Is this a small thing? But look again. He hath set Him at His
right hand. And shall any language then be able to represent this? Him
that is of the earth, more mute than the fishes, and made the sport of
devils, He hath in a moment raised up on high. Truly this is indeed the
“exceeding greatness of His power.” And behold, whither He
hath raised Him.

“In the heavenly
places;”

He hath made Him far above all
created nature, far above all rule and authority.

“Far above all
rule,” he saith.

Need then indeed is there of the
Spirit, of an understanding wise in the knowledge of Him. Need then is
there indeed of revelation. Reflect, how vast is the distance between
the nature of man and of God. Yet from this vile estate hath He exalted
Him to that high dignity. Nor does He mount by degrees, first one step,
then another, then a third. Amazing! He does not simply say,
“above,” but, “far above;” for God is above
those powers which are above. And thither then hath He raised Him, Him
that is one of us, brought Him from the lowest point to the supremest
sovereignty, to that beyond which there is no other honor. Above
“all” principality, he says, not, i.e., over one and not
over another, but over all,

“Rule and authority and
power, and dominion, and every name that is named.”

Whatever there be in Heaven, He
has become above all. And this is said of Him that was raised from the
dead which is worthy of our admiration; for of God the Word, it cannot
possibly be, because what insects are in comparison of man, this the
whole creation is in comparison of God. If all mankind are to be
counted as spittle and were counted as the turn of a balance, consider
the invisible powers as insects. But of Him that was one of us, this is
great and surprising indeed. For He raised Him up from the very lowest
parts of the earth. If all the nations are as a drop, how small a
portion then of that drop is a single man! Yet Him hath He made higher
than all things, “not only in this world, but also in that which
is to come.” Therefore powers there are whose names are to us
unintelligible, and unknown.

“And He put all things in
subjection under His feet.”

Not simply so set Him above them
as to be honored above them, nor by way of comparison with them, but so
that He should sit over them as His slaves. Amazing! Awful indeed are
these things; every created power hath been made the slave of man by
reason of God the Word dwelling in Him.205205 Διὰ τὸν
ἐνοικοῦντα
Θεὸν Λόγον. The ‘inhabitation’ of the Word in our flesh,
was a favorite form of speech with the Nestorians, who thereby
insinuated that the Word dwelt in ‘a’ man, or denied
Christ’s unity of person. Yet the phrase is strictly orthodox, as
being derived from John i. 14, and is
especially maintained by Cyril, the antagonist of Nestorius, in order
to denote that God was in human ‘nature,’ vid. Cyril in
Schol. 25. Theodor. Eran. ii. Ephræm. Antioch. apud
Phot. 229. For
it is possible for a man to be above others, without having others in
subjection, but only as preferred before them. But here it is not so.
No, “He put all things in subjection under His feet.” And
not simply put them in subjection, but in the most abject 62subjection, that below
which there can be none. Therefore he adds, “under His
feet.”

“And gave Him to be Head
over all things to the Church.”

Amazing again, whither hath He
raised the Church? as though he were lifting it up by some engine, he
hath raised it up to a vast height, and set it on yonder throne; for
where the Head is, there is the body also. There is no interval to
separate between the Head and the body; for were there a separation,
then were it no longer a body, then were it no longer a head.
“Over all things,” he says. What is meant by “over
all things?” He hath suffered neither Angel nor Archangel nor any
other being to be above Him. But not only in this way hath He honored
us, in exalting that which is of ourselves, but also in that He hath
prepared the whole race in common to follow Him, to cling to Him, to
accompany His train.

“Which is His
body.”

In order then that when you hear
of the Head you may not conceive the notion of supremacy only, but also
of consolidation, and that you may behold Him not as supreme Ruler
only, but as Head of a body.

“The fulness of Him that
filleth all in all” he says.

As though this were not
sufficient to show the close connection and relationship, what does he
add? “The fullness of Christ is the Church.” And rightly,
for the complement of the head is the body, and the complement of the
body is the head. Mark what great arrangement Paul observes, how he
spares not a single word, that he may represent the glory of God.
“The, complement,” he says, i.e., the head is, as it were,
filled up by the body, because the body is composed and made up of all
its several parts, and he introduces Him as having need of each single
one and not only of all in common and together; for unless we be many,
and one be the hand, and another the foot, and another some other
member, the whole body is not filled up. It is by all then that His
body is filled up. Then is the head filled up, then is the body
rendered perfect, when we are all knit together and united. Perceivest
thou then the “riches of the glory of His inheritance? the
exceeding greatness of His power towards them that believe? the hope of
your calling?”

Moral.
Let us reverence our Head, let us reflect of what a Head we are the
body,—a Head, to whom all things are put in subjection. According
to this representation we ought to be better, yea, than the very
angels, and greater than the Archangels, in that we have been honored
above them all. God “took not hold of Angels,” as he says
in writing to the Hebrews, “but He took hold of the seed of
Abraham.” (Heb. ii. 16.) He took hold of
neither principality nor power, nor dominion, nor any other authority,
but He took up our nature, and made it to sit on His right hand. And
why do I say, hath made it sit? He hath made it His garment,206206 ῾Ιμάτιον. Thus Cyril Alex. speaks of Christ as ‘clothed about’
with our nature. In Success. 2 p. 142. Vid. also Epiph.
Ancor. §. 95. Augustine in Psalm 130. 10. This, as
well as other theological terms, was abused by heretical disputants; as
if it implied either that the manhood of Christ might be put off from
His divine nature, or that it was a mere accidental and unsubstantial
medium of manifesting it. and not only so, but hath put all things in
subjection under His feet. How many sorts of death supposest thou? How
many souls? ten thousand? yea, and ten thousand times told, but nothing
equal to it wilt thou mention. Two things He hath done, the greatest
things. He hath both Himself descended to the lowest depth of
humiliation, and hath raised up man to the height of exaltation. He
saved him by His blood. He spoke of the former first, how that He so
greatly humbled Himself. He speaks now of what is stronger than
that—a great thing, the crown of all. Surely, even had we been
counted worthy of nothing, it were enough. Or, had we been counted
worthy even of this honor, it were enough, without the slaying of the
Son. But where there are the two, what power of language must it not
transcend and surpass? The very resurrection is not great, when I
reflect on these things. It is of Him that he says, “The God of
our Lord Jesus Christ,” not of God the Word.

Let us feel awed at the
closeness of our relation, let us dread lest any one should be cut off
from this body, lest any one should fall from it, lest any one should
appear unworthy of it. If any one were to place a diadem about our
head, a crown of gold, should we not do every thing that we might seem
worthy of the lifeless jewels? But now it is not a diadem that is about
our head, but, what is far greater, Christ is made our very Head, and
yet we pay no regard to it. Yet Angels reverence that Head, and
Archangels, and all those powers above. And shall we, which are His
body, be awed neither on the one account nor the other? And what then
shall be our hope of salvation? Conceive to yourself the royal throne,
conceive the excess of the honor. This, at least if we chose, might
more avail to startle us, yea, even than hell itself. For, even though
hell were not, that we having been honored with such an honor, should
be found base and unworthy of it, what punishment, what vengeance must
not this carry with it? Think near whom thy Head is seated, (this
single consideration is amply sufficient for any purpose whatever,) on
whose right hand He is placed, far above all principality, and power,
and might. Yet is the body of this Head trampled on by the very
devils. 63Nay, God forbid it should be thus; for were it thus, such a body
could be His body no longer. Thy own head the more respectable of thy
servants reverence, and dost thou subject thy body to be the sport of
them that insult it? How sore punishment then shalt thou not deserve?
If a man should bind the feet of the emperor with bonds and fetters,
will he not be liable to the extremity of punishment? Dost thou expose
the whole body to fierce monsters, and not shudder?

However, since our discourse is
concerning the Lord’s body, come, and let us turn our thoughts to
it, even that which was crucified, which was nailed, which is
sacrificed.207207 Θυομένου. If thou art the body of Christ, bear
the Cross, for He bore it: bear spitting, bear buffetings, bear nails.
Such was that Body; that Body “did no sin, neither was guile
found in His mouth.” (1 Pet. ii. 22.) His hands did
every thing for the benefit of them that needed, His mouth uttered not
a word of those things which are not convenient. He heard them say,
“Thou hast a devil,” and He answered nothing.

Further, our discourse is
concerning this Body, and as many of us as partake of that Body and
taste of that Blood, are partaking of that which is in no wise
different from that Body, nor separate. Consider that we taste of that
Body that sitteth above, that is adored by Angels, that is next to the
Power that is incorruptible. Alas! how many ways to salvation are open
to us! He hath made us His own body, He hath imparted to us His own
body, and yet not one of these things turns us away from what is evil.
Oh the darkness, the depth of the abyss, the apathy! “Set your
mind,” saith he, “on the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.” (Col. iii. 1.) And after all
this, some set their affections upon money, or licentiousness, others
are carried captive by their passions!

Do ye not see, that even in our
own body, when any part is superfluous and useless, it is cut off, is
cut away? It is of no use that it has belonged to the body, when it is
mutilated, when it is mortified, when it is decayed, when it is
detrimental to the rest. Let us not then be too confident, because we
have been once made members of this body. If this body of ours, though
but a natural body, nevertheless suffers amputation, what dreadful evil
shall it not undergo, if the moral principle should fail? When the body
partakes not of this natural food, when the pores are stopped up, then
it mortifies; when the ducts are closed, then it is palsied. So is it
with us also, when we stop our ears, our soul becomes palsied; when we
partake not of the spiritual food, when, instead of corrupt bodily
humors, evil dispositions impair us, all these things engender disease,
dangerous disease, disease that wastes. And then there will be need of
that fire, there will be need of that cutting asunder. For Christ
cannot endure that we should enter into the bride-chamber with such a
body as this. If He led away, and cast out the man that was clothed in
filthy garments, what will He not do unto the man who attaches filth to
the body; how will He not dispose of him?

I observe many partaking of
Christ’s Body lightly and just as it happens, and rather from
custom and form, than consideration and understanding. When, saith a
man, the holy season of Lent sets in, whatever a man may be, he
partakes of the mysteries, or, when the day of the Lord’s
Epiphany208208 This
was the great festival of the Greek Church, being in remembrance of our
Lord’s Baptism, and, as it would appear, of His birth
inclusively. The festival of Christmas, which had been in use in the
West from an earlier date, was introduced at Antioch A.D. 376, with
much opposition. Chrysostom, A.D. 387, urges its due celebration in his
Hom. de Beato Philogon, and Serm. in Diem Natal. J.
C. comes. And yet it is not the
Epiphany, nor is it Lent, that makes a fit time for approaching, but it
is sincerity and purity of soul. With this, approach at all times;
without it, never. “For as often,” (1 Cor. xi. 26.) saith he,
“as ye do this, ye proclaim the Lord’s death,” i.e.,
“ye make a remembrance of the salvation that has been wrought for
you, and of the benefits which I have bestowed.” Consider those
who partook of the sacrifices under the old Covenant, how great
abstinence did they practise? How did they not conduct themselves? What
did they not perform? They were always purifying themselves. And dost
thou, when thou drawest nigh to a sacrifice, at which the very Angels
tremble, dost thou measure the matter by the revolutions of seasons?
and how shalt thou present thyself before the judgment-seat of Christ,
thou who presumest upon His body with polluted hands and lips? Thou
wouldest not presume to kiss a king with an unclean mouth, and the King
of heaven dost thou kiss with an unclean soul? It is an outrage. Tell
me, wouldest thou choose to come to the Sacrifice with unwashen hands?
No, I suppose, not. But thou wouldest rather choose not to come at all,
than come with soiled hands. And then, thus scrupulous as thou art in
this little matter, dost thou come with soiled soul, and thus dare to
touch it? And yet the hands hold it but for a time, whereas into the
soul it is dissolved entirely. What, do ye not see the holy vessels so
thoroughly cleansed all over, so resplendent? Our souls ought to be
purer than they, more holy, more brilliant. And why so? Because those
vessels are made so for our sakes. They partake not of Him that is in
them, they perceive Him not. But we do;—64yes, verily. Now then, thou
wouldest not choose to make use of a soiled vessel, and dost thou
approach with a soiled soul? Observe the vast inconsistency of the
thing. At the other times ye come not, no, not though often ye are
clean; but at Easter, however flagrant an act ye may have committed, ye
come. Oh! the force of custom and of prejudice! In vain is the daily
Sacrifice,209209 [On
Chrysostom’s view of the eucharistic sacrifice, see
Prolegomena, p. 21, note.—G.A.] in vain do we stand before the Altar;
there is no one to partake. These things I am saying, not to induce you
to partake any how, but that ye should render yourselves worthy to
partake. Art thou not worthy of the Sacrifice, nor of the
participation? If so, then neither art thou of the prayer. Thou hearest
the herald,210210 i.e.
the Deacon, Αθανάσιος
προστάξας
διακόνῳ
κηρύξαι
εὐχὴν κ. τ. λ. Socr. Hist. ii. 11. id qu. ἀναγινώσκειν, Athan. de fug 24. standing, and saying, “As many as
are in penitence, all pray.”211211 Vid.
Bingh. Antiqu. xiii. 2. and xiv. 5. [The text here seems to be
corrupt, Field’s text is, “as many as are in penitence, all
pray,” (δεήθητε
πάντες) which is
evidently inconsistent with the context. The text should probably be,
“As many as are in penitence, depart; as many as are not in
penitence, pray all.” So Field suggests in a note saying,
Locus corruptus videtur, sic fortasse redintegrandus:
ὅσοι
ἐν μετανοί&
139· ἀπέλθετε,
ὅσοιμὴ ἐν
μετανόιᾳ
δεήθητε
πάντες.—G.A.] As many as do
not partake, are in penitence. If thou art one of those that are in
penitence, thou oughtest not to partake; for he that partakes not, is
one of those that are in penitence. Why then does he say,
“Depart, ye that are not qualified to pray,” whilst thou
hast the effrontery to stand still? But no, thou art not of that
number, thou art of the number of those who are qualified to partake,
and yet art indifferent about it, and regardest the matter as
nothing.

Look, I entreat: a royal table
is set before you, Angels minister at that table, the King Himself is
there, and dost thou stand gaping?212212 Vid.
Bingh. Antiqu. xv. 2. Are thy
garments defiled, and yet dost thou make no account of it?—or are
they clean? Then fall down and partake. Every day He cometh in to see
the guests, and converseth with them all. Yes, at this moment is he
speaking to your conscience; “Friends, how stand ye here, not
having on a wedding garment?” He said not, Why didst thou sit
down? no, before he sat down, He declared him to be unworthy, so much
as to come in. He saith not, “Why didst thou sit down to
meat,” but, “Why camest thou in?” And these are the
words that He is at this very moment addressing to one and all of us
that stand here with such shameless effrontery. For every one, that
partaketh not of the mysteries, is standing here in shameless
effrontery. It is for this reason, that they which are in sins are
first of all put forth; for just as when a master is present at his
table, it is not right that those servants who have offended him should
be present, but they are sent out of the way: just so also here when
the sacrifice is brought forth, and Christ, the Lord’s sheep, is
sacrificed; when thou hearest the words, “Let us pray
together,” when thou beholdest the curtains drawn up,213213 ἀμφιθυρα, curtains before the choir or altar, vid. Chrysost. in Matt.
Hom. 84. fin. where, however, it has not the ecclesiastical
sense, Epiphan. Epist. 51. 9. apud Hieron, ed. Vallars.
where the curtain had a figure of Christ or some Saint, (to which
Epiphanius objects) vid. also Evagr. Hist. vi. 21. then imagine that the Heavens are let down
from above, and that the Angels are descending!

As then it is not meet that any
one of the uninitiated be present, so neither is it that one of them
that are initiated, and yet at the same time defiled. Tell me, suppose
any one were invited to a feast, and were to wash his hands, and sit
down, and be all ready at the table, and after all refuse to partake;
is he not insulting the man who invited him? were it not better for
such an one never to have come at all? Now it is just in the same way
that thou hast come here. Thou hast sung the Hymn214214 The
Angelic Hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy, vid. Chrysost. in 2 Cor. Hom.
18. Cyril. Hieros. Myst. v. 6. with the rest: thou hast declared thyself
to be of the number of them that are Worthy, by not departing with them
that are unworthy. Why stay, and yet not partake of the table? I am
unworthy, thou wilt say. Then art thou also unworthy of that communion
thou hast had in prayers. For it is not by means of the offerings only,
but also by means of those canticles that the Spirit descendeth all
around. Do we not see our own servants, first scouring the table with a
sponge, and cleaning the house, and then setting out the entertainment?
This is what is done by the prayers, by the cry of the herald. We scour
the Church, as it were, with a sponge, that all things may be set out
in a pure church, that there may be “neither spot nor
wrinkle.” (Eph. v. 27.) Unworthy, indeed,
both our eyes of these sights, and unworthy are our ears! “And if
even a beast,” it is said, “touch the mountain, it shall be
stoned.” (Ex. xix. 13.) Thus then they were
not worthy so much as to set foot on it, and yet afterwards they both
came near, and beheld where God had stood. And thou mayest, afterwards,
come near, and behold: when, however, He is present, depart. Thou art
no more allowed to be here than the Catechumen is. For it is not at all
the same thing never to have reached the mysteries, and when thou hast
reached them, to stumble at them and despise them, and to make thyself
unworthy of this thing. One might enter upon more points, and those
more awful still; not however to burden your understanding, these will
suffice. They who are not brought to their right senses with these,
certainly will not be with more.

That I may not then be the means
of increas65ing your condemnation, I entreat you, not to forbear coming, but
to render yourselves worthy both of being present, and of approaching.
Tell me, were any king to give command and to say, “If any man
does this, let him partake of my table;” say, would ye not do all
ye could to be admitted? He hath invited us to heaven, to the table of
the great and wonderful King, and do we shrink and hesitate, instead of
hastening and running to it? And what then is our hope of salvation? We
cannot lay the blame on our weakness; we cannot on our nature. It is
indolence and nothing else that renders us unworthy.

So far have I spoken of myself.
But may He that pricketh the heart, He that giveth the Spirit of
compunction, pierce your hearts, and plant the seeds in the depth of
them, that so through His fear ye may conceive, and bring forth the
spirit of salvation, and come near with boldness. For, “thy
children,” it is said, “are like olive plants round about
thy table.” (Ps. cxxviii.
3.)
O, then, let there be nothing old, nothing wild, nothing harsh. For of
such sort are the young plants that are fit for fruit, for the
beautiful fruit, fruit I mean of the olive-tree. And thriving they are,
so as all to be round about the table, and come together here, not in
vain or by chance, but with fear and reverence. For thus shall ye
behold with boldness even Christ Himself in heaven, and shall be
counted worthy of that heavenly kingdom, which may God grant we may all
attain, in Jesus Christ, our Lord with whom to the Father, together
with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and for
ages of ages. Amen.

198 [“On the contrary this ‘wherefore,’ διὰ
τοῦτο, refers to what
precedes ver. 13, 14, ‘because
this is the case that ye too are in Christ and have been sealed with
the Spirit.’ So
Theophylact.”—Meyer.—G.A.]

200 [Chrysostom’s hasty and superficial treatment of this great
passage would seem to justify the language of Dr. Newman in his preface
to the Oxford translation of these homilies on Ephesians. There are
“imperfections in their composition which in the opinion of some
critics argued the absence of that comparative leisure which he enjoyed
at Antioch.” Schaff also says: “His life in Constantinople
was too much disturbed to leave him quiet leisure for
preparation.” This, however, in referring to his Homilies on
Acts. Prolegomena p. 19.—G.A.

202 [“The words, ‘in the knowledge of Him,’
ἐνέπι γνὡσει
αΰτοῦ, are not to be
joined with the words ‘having your heart enlightened,’ as
Chrysostom here, which entirely destroys the paralellism and symmetry
of the sentence, but with the words, may give you a spirit of wisdom,
etc., (in the knowledge of Him).”—Meyer and
Ellicott.—G.A.]

203 [“That ye may know what a great and glorious hope is given
to the man whom God has called to the Kingdom of the Messiah; and that
ye may know what is the object of that hope, namely, the riches of the
glory of the inheritance which He gives; and that ye may know that by
which this hope is to be realized, namely, the infinite power of God as
shown in the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus
Christ.”—Meyer.—G.A.]

205 Διὰ τὸν
ἐνοικοῦντα
Θεὸν Λόγον. The ‘inhabitation’ of the Word in our flesh,
was a favorite form of speech with the Nestorians, who thereby
insinuated that the Word dwelt in ‘a’ man, or denied
Christ’s unity of person. Yet the phrase is strictly orthodox, as
being derived from John i. 14, and is
especially maintained by Cyril, the antagonist of Nestorius, in order
to denote that God was in human ‘nature,’ vid. Cyril in
Schol. 25. Theodor. Eran. ii. Ephræm. Antioch. apud
Phot. 229.

206 ῾Ιμάτιον. Thus Cyril Alex. speaks of Christ as ‘clothed about’
with our nature. In Success. 2 p. 142. Vid. also Epiph.
Ancor. §. 95. Augustine in Psalm 130. 10. This, as
well as other theological terms, was abused by heretical disputants; as
if it implied either that the manhood of Christ might be put off from
His divine nature, or that it was a mere accidental and unsubstantial
medium of manifesting it.

208 This
was the great festival of the Greek Church, being in remembrance of our
Lord’s Baptism, and, as it would appear, of His birth
inclusively. The festival of Christmas, which had been in use in the
West from an earlier date, was introduced at Antioch A.D. 376, with
much opposition. Chrysostom, A.D. 387, urges its due celebration in his
Hom. de Beato Philogon, and Serm. in Diem Natal. J.
C.

211 Vid.
Bingh. Antiqu. xiii. 2. and xiv. 5. [The text here seems to be
corrupt, Field’s text is, “as many as are in penitence, all
pray,” (δεήθητε
πάντες) which is
evidently inconsistent with the context. The text should probably be,
“As many as are in penitence, depart; as many as are not in
penitence, pray all.” So Field suggests in a note saying,
Locus corruptus videtur, sic fortasse redintegrandus:
ὅσοι
ἐν μετανοί&
139· ἀπέλθετε,
ὅσοιμὴ ἐν
μετανόιᾳ
δεήθητε
πάντες.—G.A.]

213 ἀμφιθυρα, curtains before the choir or altar, vid. Chrysost. in Matt.
Hom. 84. fin. where, however, it has not the ecclesiastical
sense, Epiphan. Epist. 51. 9. apud Hieron, ed. Vallars.
where the curtain had a figure of Christ or some Saint, (to which
Epiphanius objects) vid. also Evagr. Hist. vi. 21.